Valerie s Descent

ruby bolted through the woods, her breath ragged, her limbs moving with an agility that both thrilled and terrified her. The forest was a blur of shadows and moonlight, her senses sharp and alien, as though she were in someone else's body. The ground was cold and damp beneath her feet no, not feet paws. Panic clawed at her chest, but she couldn't stop running, couldn't stop the desperate chase through the night.

"Find me... Find who you are..."

The voice echoed through her mind, not her ears, a haunting, ethereal whisper that seemed to come from everywhere at once. ruby's heart pounded with confusion and fear. What was happening? Was she still dreaming? This felt too real, too vivid to be a figment of her imagination.

"You're the only one who can save the pack."

Pack? ruby's thoughts spiraled. She had no pack. She wasn't some character from the fantasy books she devoured late at night. She was just a normal girl-or at least she had been, until tonight.

"Find me, ruby!"

The voice grew louder, more insistent, filling her with a strange mix of dread and urgency. Who was calling her? And why did it sound like her life no, something much bigger depended on it?

ruby tried to stop, to gather her thoughts, but her body had a mind of its own, driven by instincts she didn't understand. She pushed deeper into the forest, the voice pulling her toward something unknown, something that felt like destiny, yet completely foreign.

She had no idea what she was supposed to find or who she really was. But the fear of the unknown was eclipsed by a deeper, inexplicable need to keep running, to uncover the truth, no matter how impossible it seemed.

ruby jolted awake, her heart pounding as the shrieking sound of her alarm cut through the remnants of her nightmare. Her room, bathed in the soft, blue glow of early morning light, felt both familiar and alien. The vivid images of her dream a dark forest, the echo of a voice calling her name faded slowly, leaving her with a disconcerting mix of fear and confusion. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, surprised at how real the dream had felt despite the chill air from the air conditioner.

It had been 2 years since her sixteenth birthday, the milestone that seemed to have triggered these unsettling dreams. Her parents had dismissed her concerns with a shrug, attributing it to her obsession with paranormal novels. "It's just your imagination," they had said. "You read too many of those werewolf stories." Scarlett had laughed off their comments, her parents' laughter mingling with her own. They were probably right, she told herself. The idea of becoming a werewolf was just a fantastical notion, not meant to be taken seriously.

"Me, a wolf?" she mused aloud, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "That would be great." It was her way of downplaying the anxiety she felt, trying to convince herself it was just a ridiculous fantasy. Yet, the dream had felt too vivid, too urgent to dismiss entirely.

With a resigned sigh, ruby dragged herself out of bed, the covers falling away as she stood up. She stretched and yawned, her limbs heavy with the remnants of sleep. The bathroom called, offering a chance to wash away the lingering disquiet. She shuffled her way there, the cool tiles beneath her feet a stark contrast to the warm bed she had just left behind. A quick shower and a brush of her teeth were all it took to refresh her, preparing her for the day ahead.

In the bathroom mirror, her reflection showed a typical teenage girl no sign of the wolf from her dreams. She pulled on a casual outfit: jeans, a comfortable t-shirt, and her favorite sneakers. The daily routine was a comforting ritual, a way to anchor herself in normalcy.

As she finished dressing, ruby couldn't help but think, "Sometimes I wish school never existed. The only thing it does is ruin my sleep." It was a common complaint, one she voiced often. School seemed to intrude on her freedom, her sleep, and her dreams.

The smell of breakfast wafted up the stairs, signaling that her mom was already at work in the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!" her mother's voice called out from downstairs.

"Aiit, Mom, I'm coming!" ruby responded, grabbing her backpack and phone before heading down the stairs. She could hear the clatter of dishes and the hum of morning chatter as she made her way to the kitchen.